Velocipede



(N0 Modem: 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,, O. H. VEEDER.

VELOOIPEDE.

No; 371,234. Patented Oct. 11,1887.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. VEEDER,

VELOGIPEDE.

No. 371,234. Patented Oct. 11', 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CURTIS HUSSEY VEEDER, OF CALUMET, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE POPE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,234, dated October 11, 1887.

Appication filed January 31. 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CURTIs HUSSEY VEEDER, ofOalu met, inthe county ofHoughton and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Velocipedes,ofwhich the following is a specification.

My improvements relates more particularly to the steering mechanism of veloeipedes, and are especially adapted for use in trieycles; and the nature and objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lshows in elevation the steering apparatus and part of the frame and steeringwheel of a veloeipede embodying my improvements in one form. Fig. 2 shows the same partly in vertical section, and Fig. 3 shows part of the same things in horizontal section on the line mac of Fig. 2.

A is the rim or felly, and A the tire, of the front steering-wheel of a tricycle.

Bis the mud-guard, O O the front fork, and D a cylindrical steering-head solid with or firmly attached to the front fork, the interior of which is hollow.

E is the perch orpart of the frame connecting the steering-wheel with the restofthe tricycle. F is a handle.

G is a handle bar held in a handle-rod, H. This cylindrical handle-rod H is adjustable vertically in the extension D of the steeringhead D, and is seeurable in position by means of the split lug I and a screw or bolt therein, by which the upper end of the extension D may be tightened to it. In the upper end of the steeringhead D and the lower end ofthe extension D is a threaded bolt or screw,K,working in athreaded portion of the steering-head, and having a seat in its lower end for the upper steering-center on the steering-spindle L, connected with the perch E, the lower steering-center of the spindle L being held in a seat, M, in the lower part of the steering-head D. The bolt K,when screwed to proper adjustment for position to afford a free but welladjusted bearing for the steering-center, is secured in position bya split lug, J, anda screw or bolt therein.

N is abracket attached to the steering-head D,and having a pin,0, secured therein,which Serial No. 226,019. (No model.)

may either be solid, in the form as shown, or may consist of a cylindrical sleeve or hollow roll held to the bracket by a screw through its center.

P is a projection from a bracket, S, secured to the perch or reach E, and so as to project downward and near to and substantially parallel with the trip-pin O.

Q is a stud or cylindrical roll upon a stud secured to the under side of the reach E by means of the bracket S or otherwise, and which serves as a core or barrel for the support of the coil-springR.

R is awire spring coiled about the barrelQ loosely, with its two ends 9' r crossing each other and extending forward, one on either side of the finger P and the pin 0.

The operation of this contrivance is as fol lows: The screw or bolt K being withdrawn o upward, the spindle L is inserted in its place in the steering-head D and the screw-bolt K turned downward until a proper adjustment of the bearing is made, where it may be held by split lug J and its screw or bolt being set up tight. The handle-rod H is inserted in the tubular extension D and adjusted to a proper position for the handles, and secured in that position by setting up the boltin the split log I. The bracket S and spring Rare secured to the frame in position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Now the normal position of all these parts will be a straightforward 0nethat is, the steeringwheel will be in the same plane as the reach E, and the handle-bar G will be transverse to it, and theplane of the steering-wheel will be parallel with the planes of the driving-wheels of the velocipede, and the spring B, acting upon the bracket Nthrongh its pin 0, will tend to keep the parts in this rela- 0 tion and to support them to this relation when they are deflected with a tendency proportional in force to the strength of the spring. \Vhen the rider desires to guide the velocipede to the right or left, he will draw the right or 5 left handle F,accordingly,toward him or push the other from him, and thus, through the handle-rodand tubularextensionandsteeringhead andfork, deflect the steering-wheel, press the pin 0 against one branch or arm? of the spring R, and force this branch to one side away from the finger P, which holds the other branch of thespring. Thistightensthecoilsofthespring, so that when the pressure on thehandle is re leased or slackened the force of the spring will tend to restore the steering-wheel to its nor mal plane. In meetingirregularities of roadsurface and obstructions thereon there is a constant tendency to deflect the steeri ngwheel from its normal plane; but this tendency will be resisted by the spring It in a similar operation to that above described.

It is obvious that changes in the form and arrangement of the parts described may be made without departing from the substance of my invention, and I do not mean to limit. myself exactly to the things shown and described.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to use a split lug and screw for securing the adjusting bolt which carries the seat for the upper center in a short bicycle'head, and also to use a sliding handle-bar support held by a set-screw in a tubular extension of the spindle and fork of a socket steeringhead, and also to use a wire spring on each side of a bicycle steering head and neck, one end of each spring resting against the side ofthe neck and the other end coiled about and secured to a projection from the head; and Ido not claim either of these things.

I claim as new and of my invention- 1. In a velocipede steering mechanism, the

combination, with a handle bar and fork of a steering-wheel, of the following elements, namely: a center steering-spindle, as L,and its neck, attached to a reach, as E, a cylindrical hollow head, as D, having a cavity to receive within it and partially surrounding the spindle, and a step for the lower end of the spindle, and an adjustable seat for the upper end of the spindle and means for securing it, and a tubular extension, as D, extending above said-cavity and adjustable seat as a rigid continuation of said hollow head, and a handlebar support, as H,operating adj nstably in said extension and secured rigidly therein by asplitlug device, essentially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a steering-head and reach, of a projection from each, and a coiled-wire spring, as R, having its crossed free ends in contact with said projections.

3. The combination of an arm, N, stud O, finger P, bracket S, core Q, and a coiled-wire spring, R, having its free endsin contact with said stud and linger, with the reach and steeringhead of a vclocip cde.

CURTIS H USSEY VEEDER.

\Vilnesses:

JAMES M. MEn'roN, ALFRED B. \VAREHAM. 

